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County school leaders preview 'Hub for Innovative Learning and Leadership' with career pathways, industry partnerships
Summary
FCPS presented the new downtown career-and-technical center — dubbed the Hill — which will open this summer and host 19 career pathways, dual-credit partnerships and industry collaborations including an on-site audiology center and a cybersecurity operations lab pilot.
Michelle Wilson, principal of the Hub for Innovative Learning and Leadership (the Hill), briefed the Fayette County Board of Education on the programmatic design and partnerships for the downtown facility at 100 Midland Avenue.
Wilson said the Hill will be more than a building: its 172,000-plus square feet will host hands-on career programs and serve industry and community partnership goals. “We anticipate welcoming about 1,000 students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2025–26 school year,” Wilson said, and noted the Hill will offer 19 career pathways aligned to local workforce needs and 26 industry certifications.
Key elements Wilson described: - Dual-credit expansion through agreements with Bluegrass Community and Technical College and Eastern Kentucky University, with 39 courses planned. - Program areas covering technical trades, advanced technology and engineering, healthcare and human services. - Industry partnerships and pilot projects, including an audiology center (a collaboration with hearing-and-speech partners and FCPS academic services), conversations with local hospitals for health-care rotations, and a cybersecurity security operations center (SOC) developed with KC7 and potential industry partners. - A student leadership team that informed design choices, furniture selections and school culture elements.
Wilson gave examples of applied learning pilots: a Southside Technical Center student, Manny Gonzalez, is working with a local company and retired Lexmark engineer to develop a 3D spatial training model using Apple Vision Pro and JigSpace.
Board members asked about equity and family engagement. Wilson said priority will be given to students already enrolled in Southside and Eastside pathways so they can complete programs, but district staff are coordinating with special education, virtual learning and other teams to expand access and remove barriers. She described planned family-facing events (recruitment sessions, FAFSA and career info) and said the district will continue outreach as the school opens.
Wilson invited the board and community to a ribbon-cutting scheduled for June 12 and emphasized the Hill is intended as an ongoing collaboration among students, educators, industry and community.
